Fay

At a Glance: Name: Fay – Meaning: fairy (also used as a pet form of Faith or Frances) – Origin: Middle English / Old French – Gender: used for both boys and girls

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Fay traces back to Middle English and Old French, where it meant fairy, and it has also been used as a short form of Faith or Frances. It's a short, simple name with a long paper trail in U.S. birth records, showing up in Social Security data going all the way back to 1880. If you're drawn to compact, old-fashioned names with a clear origin story, Fay fits that mold.

Meaning & Origin of Fay

Meaning: Fairy (also used as a pet form of faith or frances).

Origin: Middle English / Old French.

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

Popularity of Fay

Fay hit its high point in 1907, when 257 girls were given the name and it ranked #202 nationally. Since then it's faded a lot — by 2024 it had dropped to #3403, with only 46 babies named Fay that year.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.

Make Fay Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Fay, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Geronimo
• Rubie
• Gladys
• Romie
• Renner
• Elisia

FAQ

What does the name Fay mean?

Fairy (also used as a pet form of faith or frances). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Fay)

Is Fay a popular name right now?

Fay peaked at #202 in 1907 and is ranked #3403 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)

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